Michigan State University Moves to Rename its James Madison College–YAF Chapter Looks to Save It

If the Founding Fathers of our great nation aren’t safe from cancel culture, no one is. Administrators at Michigan State University’s James Madison College have signaled their willingness to reconsider the name of the institution, opening the door to removing the Founding Father from campus. In a letter sent to students, alumni, and faculty at the school, Dean Linda Racioppi and Assistant Dean Jeff Judge noted that they want to “combat racism and advance an anti-racist agenda within our college,” and will move forward through the “University governance process” if the university community supported a name change. According to the letter, the school will also consider revising the curriculum to build an “anti-racist institution,” although it did not specify what changes may be made. The Young Americans for Freedom chapter at MSU pushed back against the calls to rename the college in a statement.

YAF at MSU’s statement on the Potential Renaming of James Madison College pic.twitter.com/btugWSTdwA

— Michigan State YAF (@MichStateYAF) July 11, 2020

  “The figures of the past should be viewed in the context of their times and commend the good that they did,” the statement read. The chapter has also created a petition to commend for the good of the James Madison College. You can sign the petition here. Charlie Jones, MSU YAF chapter chairman, spoke with YAF exclusively about their fight to preserve James Madison College. “While James Madison was not a perfect person, his role in drafting the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and some of the Federalist Papers places him among the most important figures in American history,” he told YAF  His work is an instrumental part in understanding the structure and functioning of our government, which should always be a core tenant of a program focused on public policy.”